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Body found buried in yard at retirement community

Deputies in Lake County found a body buried in the yard of the Mid-Florida Lakes retirement community northeast of Leesburg.

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Updated: 6:49 PM EST Jan 12, 2014

Body found buried in yard at retirement community

Deputies in Lake County found a body buried in the yard of the Mid-Florida Lakes retirement community northeast of Leesburg.

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Updated: 6:49 PM EST Jan 12, 2014

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WEBVTT DISNEY WORLD FOR A CHANCE TO BE CALLED DOPEY. BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT. A BODY IS FOUND BURIED AT THE HOME OF A MAN MISSING FOR OBSERVATION. THE DISCOVERY WAS MADE JUST HOURS AFTER THE MISSING MAN'S SON AND THE SON'S GIRLFRIEND WERE ARRESTED AT THAT HOUSE. GOOD EVENING. I'M AMANDA OBER. A STRANGE TALE UNFOLDING IN LAKE COUNTY TONIGHT. ALL BEGAN LAST NIGHT AT THE HOUSE ON NORTH LAKE DRIVE. TRAVELL EILAND IS LIVE AT THE HOUSE, WHERE INVESTIGATORS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED THERE. TRAVELL? Reporter: YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, AMANDA. INVESTIGATORS HAVE NOW ON TAKENNED A SEARCH WARRANT. THEY'RE STILL HERE ON THE PROPERTY TRYING TO COLLECT EVIDENCE THAT HELPS THEM DETERMINE WHOSE BODY WAS IT WAS BURIED IN THE BACKYARD OF THE HOME AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HOMEOWNER, WHO NEIGHBORS SAY THEY HAVEN'T SEEN IN SEVERAL WEEKS. NEIGHBORS INSIDE THE MID FLORIDA LAKES RETIREMENT HOME IN LEESBURG LOOKED ON IN DISBELIEF AS HOMICIDE DETECTIVES WORKED TO REMOVE A BODY FROM A SHALLOW GRAVE. THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN AROUND 8:00 SATURDAY NIGHT, WHEN A NEIGHBOR CALLED 911 AFTER NOTICING HER NEIGHBOR, 63-YEAR-OLD JESSE'S SON REMOVING THINGS OUT OF HIS HOME. IT LOOKED FUNNY , VERY STRANGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RAIN HE WAS LOADING UP HIS TRUCK AND HAULING OFF FURNITURE AND WHATEVER ELSE HE TOOK IN THE TRUCK WITH HIM. Reporter: WHEN DEPUTIES GOT ON SCENE, THEY FOUND THE SON AND HIS GIRLFRIEND 2-YEAR-OLD JESSICA THIGPEN PULLING AWAY WITH A TRAILER PULL OF HIS FATHER'S PERSONAL BELONGINGS. SOMEONE AT THIS HOME LOADING UP THE HOMEOWNERS ITEMS. ITEMS INCLUDED A MOTORCYCLE, THE HERE'S GOLF CART AND HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES. Reporter: NEIGHBORS SAY IT WAS A RED FLAG BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT SEEN THE HOMEOWNER IN SEVERAL WEEKS AND HIS SON WASN'T GIVING STRAIGHT ANSWERS ABOUT HIS FATHER'S WHEREABOUTS. HIS SON KEEPS TELLING ME THAT HE MAY BE IN NEW YORK HAVING A GOOD TIME. AND HE'S TOLD OTHER PEOPLE THAT HE'S IN CALIFORNIA AND HE'S ALL DIFFERENT PLACES. Reporter: WHETHER DEPUTIES STOP -- WHEN DEPUTIES STOPPED JORDAN AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, THEY ADMITTED TO BEING DRUG ADDICTSES. DEPUTIES PROMPTLY ARRESTED THEM AND TOOK THEM TO JAIL ON DRUG CHARGES. Reporter: THE DEPUTY'S SUSPICIONS LED THEM TO BRING IN CADAVER DOGS WHICH LOCATED A BODY IN THE BACKYARD. INVESTIGATORS HAVE NOT DETERMINED THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON. BUT THE COMMUNITY FEARS COULD BE THEIR NEIGHBOR. THE HOMEOWNER'S SON, AGAIN HIS NAME IS JESSE JORDAN AND HIS 28-YEAR-OLD GIFFORDS JESSICA THIGPEN ARE LOCKED UP ON DRUG CHARGES AT THIS POINT. INVESTIGATORS SAY MORE CHARGES

Body found buried in yard at retirement community

Deputies in Lake County found a body buried in the yard of the Mid-Florida Lakes retirement community northeast of Leesburg.